By Emma Bouthillette 

Staff Writer

Every Sunday, the bell at the Village Baptist Church in Kennebunkport tolls at 10 a.m. and again 15 minutes later to mark the 10:30 a.m. service, but the bell will be silent this Sunday and remain so for about a year as the church waits for a new steeple. 

With repairs to the roof and steeple needed, the church hired Steeplejack owner John Burgess to spruce up the top of the building. After climbing to the top, it was not long before Burgess discovered some rotten spots and questioned the integrity of the structure. With further investigation, he concluded the steeple would need to be replaced rather than repaired. 

The steeple came down this week, and the bell will rest on the front lawn beside the church until a new one is constructed. 

Village Baptist Church Pastor Joe Everett said the church was originally planning on raising funds for an estimated $15,000 project is now looking at a $45,000 project that the church cannot afford. 

“We are hoping there is enough interest in the community in preserving the aesthetics of the church, because we need the money to run the church,” Everett said. “It is hard to justify the expense of the project when you have to heat this building.”

In effort to raise funds for the project, seven members of the 55 congregation members are beginning to organize fundraising events and reach out to the community for support. 

Everett said he hopes the historical value of the building will draw community interest. The Village Baptist Church was incorporated in 1917, but its roots go back deeper still. 

According to historical research Everett was able to gather, the first Baptist society in the area was formed in June 1803. By 1820, members of the original Baptist society were dismissed to form “the church at the wharves,” which is now Village Baptist Church. 

Captain Eliphalet Perkins donated a parcel of land to the Baptist society where they built the current church indicated on a deed dated Oct. 13, 1838, and at the same time, records show he also donated a bell, Everett said. He said with no other records to indicate any different, he believes the bell they are taking down from the steeple is the same bell.

Kennebunkport Historical Society Executive Director Richard Durschlag has volunteered to help the congregation with planning fundraisers and restoring the steeple. 

“The church is a big part of the town, at a central location and it is important to keep it as it was in the past,” Durschlag said. 

While there is no historical zoning in Kennebunkport, Everett said it is in the town’s best interest to restore the steeple to its original fashion, including a railing around it that Everett said was probably removed sometime during the 1980s. 

While he does not anticipate fundraising to be easy, Everett said  fundraising events give the congregation a chance to interact with the town.

“It is a nice church, with a nice mix in the congregation,” Everett said. “We will open our doors to our neighbors. It gives us a chance to meet the community, and them a chance to meet us and maybe consider attending our Sunday service.”